Florida Senate - 2011                             CS for SB 1470
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Commerce and Tourism; and Senator Altman
       
       
       
       
       577-02873-11                                          20111470c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the capital investment tax credit;
    3         amending s. 212.08, F.S.; specifying procedures to
    4         claim a sales and use tax credit; amending s. 220.191,
    5         F.S.; authorizing a qualifying business that has
    6         insufficient corporate income tax liability to fully
    7         claim a capital investment tax credit to apply the
    8         credit against its liability for sales and use taxes
    9         to be collected, reported, and remitted to the
   10         Department of Revenue; requiring a qualifying business
   11         that receives a credit against its sales and use tax
   12         liability to make additional capital investments;
   13         requiring a qualifying business to annually report its
   14         capital investments to the Office of Tourism, Trade,
   15         and Economic Development, the President of the Senate,
   16         and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
   17         requiring a qualifying business that fails to make the
   18         required capital investments to repay the amount of
   19         the sales and use tax credit claimed with interest;
   20         limiting the availability of the sales and use tax
   21         credit to certain businesses that have their
   22         headquarters in this state, that qualify for the
   23         capital investment tax credit under certain
   24         circumstances, and that entered into an agreement with
   25         the Department of Revenue during a certain period;
   26         limiting the annual amount of tax credits that may be
   27         approved for each eligible qualifying business;
   28         authorizing the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic
   29         Development and the Department of Revenue to adopt
   30         rules; providing an effective date.
   31  
   32  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   33  
   34         Section 1. Paragraph (r) is added to subsection (5) of
   35  section 212.08, Florida Statutes, to read:
   36         212.08 Sales, rental, use, consumption, distribution, and
   37  storage tax; specified exemptions.—The sale at retail, the
   38  rental, the use, the consumption, the distribution, and the
   39  storage to be used or consumed in this state of the following
   40  are hereby specifically exempt from the tax imposed by this
   41  chapter.
   42         (5) EXEMPTIONS; ACCOUNT OF USE.—
   43         (r) Capital investment tax credit; authorization;
   44  eligibility for credits.—The credit against the state sales and
   45  use tax granted pursuant to s. 220.191(2)(d) shall be deducted
   46  from any sales and use tax remitted by the dealer to the
   47  department by electronic funds transfer and may be deducted only
   48  on a sales and use tax return initiated through electronic data
   49  interchange. The dealer shall separately state the credit on the
   50  electronic return. The net amount of tax due and payable must be
   51  remitted by electronic funds transfer. If the credit is larger
   52  than the amount owed on the sales and use tax return, the unused
   53  portion may be carried forward to a succeeding reporting period
   54  within the 12-month period immediately following the first
   55  return approved by the department that the dealer may claim. The
   56  credit expires at the end of the 12-month period approved by the
   57  department and may not be claimed on a sales and use tax return
   58  filed with the department after the end of the 12-month period.
   59         Section 2. Section 220.191, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   60  read:
   61         220.191 Capital investment tax credit.—
   62         (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in For purposes of this section,
   63  the term:
   64         (a) “Commencement of operations” means the beginning of
   65  active operations by a qualifying business of the principal
   66  function for which a qualifying project was constructed.
   67         (b) “Cumulative capital investment” means the total capital
   68  investment in land, buildings, and equipment made in connection
   69  with a qualifying project during the period from the beginning
   70  of construction of the project to the commencement of
   71  operations.
   72         (c) “Eligible capital costs” means all expenses incurred by
   73  a qualifying business in connection with the acquisition,
   74  construction, installation, and equipping of a qualifying
   75  project during the period from the beginning of construction of
   76  the project to the commencement of operations, including, but
   77  not limited to:
   78         1. The costs of acquiring, constructing, installing,
   79  equipping, and financing a qualifying project, including all
   80  obligations incurred for labor and obligations to contractors,
   81  subcontractors, builders, and materialmen.
   82         2. The costs of acquiring land or rights to land and any
   83  cost incidental thereto, including recording fees.
   84         3. The costs of architectural and engineering services,
   85  including test borings, surveys, estimates, plans and
   86  specifications, preliminary investigations, environmental
   87  mitigation, and supervision of construction, as well as the
   88  performance of all duties required by or consequent to the
   89  acquisition, construction, installation, and equipping of a
   90  qualifying project.
   91         4. The costs associated with the installation of fixtures
   92  and equipment; surveys, including archaeological and
   93  environmental surveys; site tests and inspections; subsurface
   94  site work and excavation; removal of structures, roadways, and
   95  other surface obstructions; filling, grading, paving, and
   96  provisions for drainage, storm water retention, and installation
   97  of utilities, including water, sewer, sewage treatment, gas,
   98  electricity, communications, and similar facilities; and offsite
   99  construction of utility extensions to the boundaries of the
  100  property.
  101  
  102  The term does eligible capital costs shall not include the cost
  103  of any property previously owned or leased by the qualifying
  104  business.
  105         (d) “Income generated by or arising out of the qualifying
  106  project” means the qualifying project’s annual taxable income as
  107  determined by generally accepted accounting principles and under
  108  s. 220.13.
  109         (e) “Jobs” means full-time equivalent positions, as that
  110  term is consistent with terms used by the Agency for Workforce
  111  Innovation and the United States Department of Labor for
  112  purposes of unemployment tax administration and employment
  113  estimation, resulting directly from a project in this state. The
  114  term does not include temporary construction jobs involved in
  115  the construction of the project facility.
  116         (f) “Office” means the Office of Tourism, Trade, and
  117  Economic Development.
  118         (g) “Qualifying business” means a business which
  119  establishes a qualifying project in this state and which is
  120  certified by the office to receive tax credits pursuant to this
  121  section.
  122         (h) “Qualifying project” means:
  123         1. A new or expanding facility in this state which creates
  124  at least 100 new jobs in this state and is in one of the high
  125  impact sectors identified by Enterprise Florida, Inc., and
  126  certified by the office pursuant to s. 288.108(6), including,
  127  but not limited to, aviation, aerospace, automotive, and silicon
  128  technology industries;
  129         2. A new or expanded facility in this state which is
  130  engaged in a target industry designated pursuant to the
  131  procedure specified in s. 288.106(2)(t) and which is induced by
  132  this credit to create or retain at least 1,000 jobs in this
  133  state, provided that at least 100 of those jobs are new, pay an
  134  annual average wage of at least 130 percent of the average
  135  private sector wage in the area as defined in s. 288.106(2), and
  136  make a cumulative capital investment of at least $100 million
  137  after July 1, 2005. Jobs may be considered retained only if
  138  there is significant evidence that the loss of jobs is imminent.
  139  Notwithstanding subsection (2), annual credits against the tax
  140  imposed by this chapter may shall not exceed 50 percent of the
  141  increased annual corporate income tax liability or the premium
  142  tax liability generated by or arising out of a project
  143  qualifying under this subparagraph. A facility that qualifies
  144  under this subparagraph for an annual credit against the tax
  145  imposed by this chapter may take the tax credit for a period not
  146  to exceed 5 years; or
  147         3. A new or expanded headquarters facility in this state
  148  which locates in an enterprise zone and brownfield area and is
  149  induced by this credit to create at least 1,500 jobs which on
  150  average pay at least 200 percent of the statewide average annual
  151  private sector wage, as published by the Agency for Workforce
  152  Innovation or its successor, and which new or expanded
  153  headquarters facility makes a cumulative capital investment in
  154  this state of at least $250 million.
  155         (2)(a) An annual credit against the tax imposed by this
  156  chapter shall be granted to any qualifying business in an amount
  157  equal to 5 percent of the eligible capital costs generated by a
  158  qualifying project, for a period not to exceed 20 years
  159  beginning with the commencement of operations of the project.
  160  Unless assigned as described in this subsection, the tax credit
  161  shall be granted against only the corporate income tax liability
  162  or the premium tax liability generated by or arising out of the
  163  qualifying project, and the sum of all tax credits provided
  164  pursuant to this section may shall not exceed 100 percent of the
  165  eligible capital costs of the project. Except as provided in
  166  paragraph (d), a In no event may any credit granted under this
  167  section may not be carried forward or backward by any qualifying
  168  business with respect to a subsequent or prior year. The annual
  169  tax credit granted under this section may shall not exceed the
  170  following percentages of the annual corporate income tax
  171  liability or the premium tax liability generated by or arising
  172  out of a qualifying project:
  173         1. One hundred percent for a qualifying project which
  174  results in a cumulative capital investment of at least $100
  175  million.
  176         2. Seventy-five percent for a qualifying project which
  177  results in a cumulative capital investment of at least $50
  178  million but less than $100 million.
  179         3. Fifty percent for a qualifying project which results in
  180  a cumulative capital investment of at least $25 million but less
  181  than $50 million.
  182         (b) A qualifying project that which results in a cumulative
  183  capital investment of less than $25 million is not eligible for
  184  the capital investment tax credit. An insurance company claiming
  185  a credit against premium tax liability under this program is
  186  shall not be required to pay any additional retaliatory tax
  187  levied pursuant to s. 624.5091 as a result of claiming such
  188  credit. Because credits under this section are available to an
  189  insurance company, s. 624.5091 does not limit such credit in any
  190  manner.
  191         (c) A qualifying business that establishes a qualifying
  192  project that includes locating a new solar panel manufacturing
  193  facility in this state that generates a minimum of 400 jobs
  194  within 6 months after commencement of operations with an average
  195  salary of at least $50,000 may assign or transfer the annual
  196  credit, or any portion thereof, granted under this section to
  197  any other business. However, the amount of the tax credit that
  198  may be transferred in any year is shall be the lesser of the
  199  qualifying business’s state corporate income tax liability for
  200  that year, as limited by the percentages applicable under
  201  paragraph (a) and as calculated before prior to taking any
  202  credit pursuant to this section, or the credit amount granted
  203  for that year. A business receiving the transferred or assigned
  204  credits may use the credits only in the year received, and the
  205  credits may not be carried forward or backward. To perfect the
  206  transfer, the transferor must shall provide the department with
  207  a written transfer statement notifying the department of the
  208  transferor’s intent to transfer the tax credits to the
  209  transferee; the date the transfer is effective; the transferee’s
  210  name, address, and federal taxpayer identification number; the
  211  tax period; and the amount of tax credits to be transferred. The
  212  department shall, upon receipt of a transfer statement
  213  conforming to the requirements of this paragraph, provide the
  214  transferee with a certificate reflecting the tax credit amounts
  215  transferred. A copy of the certificate must be attached to each
  216  tax return for which the transferee seeks to apply such tax
  217  credits.
  218         (d) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1,
  219  2011, if a credit granted under this subsection is not fully
  220  used in a taxable year going forward because of insufficient tax
  221  liability on the part of the qualifying business, the qualifying
  222  business is entitled to a sales and use tax credit against its
  223  state sales and use tax liability in an amount equal to the
  224  corporate income or insurance premium tax credit that could not
  225  be used in that tax year because of insufficient tax liability
  226  arising out of the project. The sales and use tax credit shall
  227  be granted against state sales and use taxes collected,
  228  reported, and remitted pursuant to chapter 212 during the 12
  229  month period beginning on the date that the qualifying business
  230  files its corporate income tax return for the year in which the
  231  credit granted under this subsection is not fully used.
  232         1.The sales and use tax credit granted under this
  233  paragraph is subject to the following:
  234         a.A qualifying business that applies its sales and use tax
  235  credit against its sales and use tax liability must make capital
  236  investments in Florida, in addition to its cumulative capital
  237  investment, in an amount equal to or greater than the applied
  238  credit within 5 years after the date that the qualifying
  239  business first applied the sales and use tax credit to its sales
  240  and use tax return.
  241         b.A qualifying business must annually provide to the
  242  office, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
  243  House of Representatives a report listing the capital
  244  investments made in each tax year of the business in which the
  245  business claims a sales and use tax credit pursuant to this
  246  paragraph and must provide a final summary report of all capital
  247  investments made pursuant to requirements of this paragraph.
  248         c.If the qualifying business fails to make the capital
  249  investments pursuant to subparagraph (a)1. or if the business
  250  fails to report its capital investments pursuant to subparagraph
  251  (a)2., the qualifying business shall repay to the department the
  252  difference between the sales and use tax credits received and
  253  the amount of capital investments accounted for, plus interest
  254  as provided for delinquent taxes under chapter 212.
  255         d. To be eligible for the sales and use tax credit, a
  256  qualifying business must have its headquarters in this state;
  257  qualify for the capital investment tax credit pursuant to
  258  subparagraph (a)1.; and between January 1, 2006, and December
  259  31, 2008, signed an agreement with the department for the
  260  determination of income generated by or arising out of the
  261  qualifying project.
  262         e. The qualifying business must notify the department of
  263  its intent to apply the credit against its state sales and use
  264  taxes and the amount it is entitled to claim prior to claiming
  265  the credit as provided in s. 212.08(5)(r). The department shall
  266  send written instructions to the taxpayer on how to claim the
  267  credit on a sales and use tax return initiated through an
  268  electronic data exchange.
  269         2. The maximum amount of tax credits that any one
  270  qualifying business may claim as a state sales and use tax
  271  credit under this section on sales and use tax returns due
  272  during any state fiscal year is $5 million.
  273         3.The office and the department may adopt rules to
  274  administer this paragraph.
  275         (3)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (2), an annual credit
  276  against the tax imposed by this chapter shall be granted to a
  277  qualifying business which establishes a qualifying project
  278  pursuant to subparagraph (1)(h)3., in an amount equal to the
  279  lesser of $15 million or 5 percent of the eligible capital costs
  280  made in connection with a qualifying project, for a period not
  281  to exceed 20 years beginning with the commencement of operations
  282  of the project. The tax credit shall be granted against the
  283  corporate income tax liability of the qualifying business and as
  284  further provided in paragraph (c). The total tax credit provided
  285  pursuant to this subsection shall be equal to no more than 100
  286  percent of the eligible capital costs of the qualifying project.
  287         (b) If the credit granted under this subsection is not
  288  fully used in any one year because of insufficient tax liability
  289  on the part of the qualifying business, the unused amount may be
  290  carried forward for a period not to exceed 20 years after the
  291  commencement of operations of the project. The carryover credit
  292  may be used in a subsequent year when the tax imposed by this
  293  chapter for that year exceeds the credit for which the
  294  qualifying business is eligible in that year under this
  295  subsection after applying the other credits and unused
  296  carryovers in the order provided by s. 220.02(8).
  297         (c) The credit granted under this subsection may be used in
  298  whole or in part by the qualifying business or any corporation
  299  that is either a member of that qualifying business’s affiliated
  300  group of corporations, is a related entity taxable as a
  301  cooperative under subchapter T of the Internal Revenue Code, or,
  302  if the qualifying business is an entity taxable as a cooperative
  303  under subchapter T of the Internal Revenue Code, is related to
  304  the qualifying business. Any entity related to the qualifying
  305  business may continue to file as a member of a Florida-nexus
  306  consolidated group pursuant to a prior election made under s.
  307  220.131(1), Florida Statutes (1985), even if the parent of the
  308  group changes due to a direct or indirect acquisition of the
  309  former common parent of the group. Any credit can be used by any
  310  of the affiliated companies or related entities referenced in
  311  this paragraph to the same extent as it could have been used by
  312  the qualifying business. However, any such use shall not operate
  313  to increase the amount of the credit or extend the period within
  314  which the credit must be used.
  315         (4) Before Prior to receiving tax credits pursuant to this
  316  section, a qualifying business must achieve and maintain the
  317  minimum employment goals beginning with the commencement of
  318  operations at a qualifying project and continuing each year
  319  thereafter during which tax credits are available pursuant to
  320  this section.
  321         (5) Applications shall be reviewed and certified pursuant
  322  to s. 288.061. The office, upon a recommendation by Enterprise
  323  Florida, Inc., shall first certify a business as eligible to
  324  receive tax credits pursuant to this section prior to the
  325  commencement of operations of a qualifying project, and such
  326  certification shall be transmitted to the Department of Revenue.
  327  Upon receipt of the certification, the Department of Revenue
  328  shall enter into a written agreement with the qualifying
  329  business specifying, at a minimum, the method by which income
  330  generated by or arising out of the qualifying project will be
  331  determined.
  332         (6) The office, in consultation with Enterprise Florida,
  333  Inc., is authorized to develop the necessary guidelines and
  334  application materials for the certification process described in
  335  subsection (5).
  336         (7) It shall be the responsibility of The qualifying
  337  business has the responsibility to affirmatively demonstrate to
  338  the satisfaction of the Department of Revenue that such business
  339  meets the job creation and capital investment requirements of
  340  this section.
  341         (8) The Department of Revenue may specify by rule the
  342  methods by which a project’s pro forma annual taxable income is
  343  determined.
  344         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.